


The Rose Garden

by westernsunset



Category: Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-01 09:13:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14517207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westernsunset/pseuds/westernsunset
Summary: What happens when Thayet wants to go for a walk in the palace’s most populated gay cruising spot?





	The Rose Garden

“What a lovely night,” Thayet said, after Raoul and the royals had spent a productive evening discussing strategy to suppress an ogre uprising in the north. “I think I’m going to take a stroll through the rose garden.”

“No!” Raoul shouted before he could stop himself. By day, the rose garden was a place for the queen’s ladies and other women at court to enjoy the sunlight in relative privacy. Visitors were taken on tours of the king and queens impressive collection of flowers, and the occasional couple walked through on a romantic stroll.

By night, the thick hedges of the rose garden were populated by the men of the palace, servants and nobles alike, who were looking for companionship. Walking among the roses was the fastest way to find someone, and the unspoken contract was no one talked about what happened in the garden. Sometimes Raoul didn’t even see the faces of the men he met there. If the lovely Queen Thayet was planning a nighttime stroll through her garden she was going to get more than she was prepared for, hence Raoul’s sudden outburst.

“Sorry, your highness, I didn’t mean to speak out of turn,” Raoul said when everyone turned to look at him. “The rose garden is...” he paused, trying to think of an excuse. “It’s so dark, this time of night. May I recommend your majesty walk through the menagerie instead?”

Raoul figured Lindhall would understand after he explained his menagerie was the alternative to the rose garden. They’d passed each other in the rose garden enough times, he wouldn’t want Thayet there either.

“The roses are in full bloom,” Thayet said. “I can smell them from my window, I think it’s just what this night needs. And I’d love to clip some for our chamber.”

Any more pushback would be suspicious so Raoul did the next best thing. “Allow me to walk with you,” he said. 

Thayet looked puzzled, and a little suspicious. “You don’t have to Raoul. Don’t do something you don’t want to do on my account.”

Raoul forced a laugh. “It would be my honor, your majesty,” he said offering his arm to Thayet.

One raised eyebrow was the only thing that Thayet allowed to show her confusion. “Jon, we’ll be in the garden. I guess.”

Jon looked up from his conversation with Gary and waved, not really listening.

“So do you...usually walk in the rose garden at night?” Raoul said, as they walked out.

“I suppose this will be the first time,” Thayet said. “Why are you acting so strangely?”

“Hmm?” Raoul said, trying to fake nonchalance. “I don’t know what you mean!”

Thayet just gave him a look.

When then got to the entrance to the garden, Raoul called out loudly, “it is such a nice night to take in the garden, your majesty. I can’t wait to walk all through the garden with your highness.”

“Raoul! Why are you shouting?”

“Was I shouting? I didn’t notice.”

“Is there something going on here?”

“Going on?” Raoul said, stalling. Then, as loud as before, “nothing at all is going on in the rose garden highness. Just people! Out for a stroll. Nothing more!” He hoped his booming proclamation was enough to make sure people were aware the queen was coming.

They didn’t see anyone at first, but Raoul tried to keep up a constant stream of chatter to alert anyone who may be otherwise engaged. He kept mentioning the queen, just to really make sure everyone was fully clothed and proper when they passed by.

Rounding a corner, they saw two men, shirts hurriedly tucked in, and hair messy. Both bowed to the queen as she passed and avoided eye contact with Raoul. Not that it stopped him from recognizing one of them as a cook he’d met before, both in the palace and in the garden. Good kisser. 

They met a few other men, all in various stages of disheveled from quick dressing. Some had tried to put distance between themselves, to look like they were in the garden alone on a night walk. Other hadn’t had time, and pretended they were in conversation. Still others had chosen to hide in the bushes, which made Raoul nervous, since Thayet had been serious about clipping roses and placing them in a basket he had brought along. All the men they passed, noble and servant alike, bowed to Thayet and some nodded subtly at Raoul. A few even murmured their thanks for Raoul’s loud warning.

Raoul figured the only thing to do was keep talking, almost narrating what the queen was doing. He thought that would not only protect the men from embarrassment and disgrace but prevent the queen from having quite the shock. 

But he didn’t count on the queen’s reaction.

“Raoul!” She finally said, after he loudly exclaimed how nice the roses were, and made her drop her shears. “I appreciate you keeping me company, I suppose, but I was hoping for a quiet walk! Could you...stop talking for a moment? I’m sure the others in the garden would also appreciate some peace and quiet.”

“With respect, your highness, I’ll have to disagree with you on that point.”

“And why is that?”

“I don’t think I should say.”

“You’re aware I could order you to explain yourself,” Thayet said, rapidly losing her patience. 

Raoul went into damage control, relying on his humor and charm to hopefully calm the queen. “Of course you could order me, but isn’t mystery the spice of life, my peerless queen?”

It worked, Thayet smiled despite herself. But she regained her stony face quickly. When she next spoke she sounded incredibly serious. “Is there a danger I should be aware of?”

“Mithros, no!” Raoul said. “Why would you say that?”

“Oh let me see,” Thayet said. Raoul didn’t miss the sarcasm in her voice, but chose to ignore it. “You were adamant I not go to the rose garden, then accompanied me when I insisted, you keep talking loud enough so people know you’re here with the queen, and everyone here seems to know you. That last point isn’t related to the danger but it seems strange.”

“I’m a popular person.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“No, it doesn’t,” he sighed. “You’re not in danger.”

“Then what’s going on?”

“If it pleases your highness, I’d rather not say,” Raoul said. “It’s a long explanation and not fit for a lady.”

“Try me. Otherwise I’ll ask Jon, and if he knows, he’ll tell me, and if he doesn’t he will come down here to investigate and find out whatever you’re trying to hide. And if he doesn’t, I’ll just come back one night when you’re busy.”

Raoul groaned, and put his hands up in surrender. “I should’ve known better than to test you,” he said. “But we can’t talk about it here,” he said, quietly. “Could we speak by the pond?” The open air pond was hardly a lovers lane.

Thayet just nodded, and they walked out of the rose garden, Raoul resuming his monologue until they arrived at a flat rock by the pond. 

Thayet took some bread out for the ducks, and said nothing for awhile. Raoul didn’t start talking, hoping she’d be happy enough feeding the ducks and she wouldn’t press the issue.

“I’m waiting!” Thayet said. 

Of course she hadn’t forgotten.

Raoul cleared his throat. “Your majesty. The rose garden is a—meeting place, of sorts for,” he paused, looking for a vague word “people who have trouble meeting—people in the traditional way.”

Thayet smiled. “I’m not some stuffy monarch Raoul. You don’t have to shield me from young lovers and their kisses.”

Raoul cleared his throat, his cheeks redder than usual. “The garden sees ah--a little more than kisses.”

At this, the queen looked delighted, and started to laugh. “Really! Our rose garden?! I always did think this palace was so stiff, it’s nice to know that our lords and ladies can enjoy themselves next to our most fragrant roses.”

“Yes, but it’s not so much lords and ladies as it is...well, as it is...lords and lords enjoying themselves next to your majesty’s most fragrant roses,” Raoul said over Thayet’s laughter.

Thayet’s eyes widened and her laughter trailed off. She thought about what Raoul had said and she nodded slowly. “I suppose we didn’t see any women on our walk, so that makes sense.”

“So you see why I didn’t want you to--”

“Wait, Raoul,” said Thayet, realization dawning. “How do...you know about the garden?”

“Majesty, forgive me, but I’d hoped that would be obvious by now.”

“I didn’t want to assume,” said Thayet. “Does Jon know?”

“About me or the garden?”

“The garden! Or you! Or both! I don’t know, this was a lot of information to get in one evening! All I wanted to do was pick some roses!”

At that, Raoul had to laugh. “Sorry your highness, I really don’t mean to spring this on you, but I couldn’t send you in there alone, one never knows what to expect when they round the corner. Not to mention the uh...no you know what, I’ll leave it at that.”

“But Jon knows about me,” Raoul continued. “Not the garden though. I think we’ve done a good job of keeping our nighttime uses of it a secret.”

“We?” Thayet asked. “Who is we?”

“Everyone who...uses it. You get to know people after awhile.”

“Like who?”

“I can’t tell you!” Raoul said with a smile and mock indignation. “That’s against the very spirit of the garden. We see each other there at night, do what needs to be done, and the next day we go back to pretending we’ve never met.”

Thayet considered this, and said nothing for awhile. The silence stretched before them until Raoul became uncomfortable enough to break it.

“Your majesty, what are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking,” said Thayet, “that I don’t want to disturb what’s going on in that garden. I always wondered why our roses were the greatest in the kingdom. Now I’m realizing it might be the...results of the night time escapades.”

“Your majesty!” Raoul was shocked.

“Again, Raoul, I’m not some blushing maiden. I know what happens when men are...enjoying the roses.”

Raoul laughed at that, and offered his arm while the two walked back inside. On their way back, they passed several men, who were likely going to enjoy the roses.


End file.
